Dick Tracy, Chuck Roast, and Guns Bicycles dominated as our fastest modes of transportation, although we loved running fast and hard, through neighborhood back yards, across highways, around construction sites, on top of school roofs and nothing proved to be an obstacle. I was faster than Jack, but he was my best friend and it seemed when we were on the loose the action accelerated onto trajectories that often put Read More

Lucky Man   Although I’ve tasted the peaceful lure of near death, I’ve seen and heard angels walking on earth.  They don’t have wings and they are human: doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, technicians and many others.  Unfortunately, the peace and calm I experienced sometimes eludes me during the speeding essence of everyday life, but I try to take the time to sit back, think, and realize that d Read More

Tasty Lesion Café (A fictional story)   “I’ll have the pancakes with whipped cream, three sausage links and three eggs over easy.” “Damn Mike, you’re going to have to double your Crestor after that mess of artery clogging chow!” “Whatever, it’s been a long night on call and I deserve it Sam. Tell you what; I’m shaking after working with this patient last night and for the last couple of day Read More

85 degrees, hot sun in the blistering swelter of Midwestern summer.  Perfect weather for a run, at least in my mind. But then, in those days, any time of day or weather was a perfect day for running. I took each season as an opportunity to explore my physical limits of endurance, relishing the beauty of each season. Now of course, we advise runners to avoid the heat and if a run is chosen, make sure you make frequ Read More

I don’t really give a flying fork what any celebrity from Hollywood thinks about politics, global warming or any subject unrelated to pure acting. Their job is to entertain us and therefore make lots of money, that’s it. Unless of course their name is Clint Eastwood, then I will listen.  Intently.  I respect Mr. Eastwood and this piece is written to show that respect. Well, I didn’t really meet him at a bar Read More

HOME “Carson, it’s time for you to go home now. Get out of here while you can.” My partners rescue me and tell me that from time to time, and I sure am relieved to hear it. I’m going home! Exhausted, I try to stay awake on the blurry drive home from my 36-hour shift at the hospital, but I can’t seem to turn my brain off from the flurry of messages and memories about my patients, ricocheting around inside Read More

I loved baseball when I was a kid; after all, it was America’s sport, at least when I was small. Ok, I was and still am a Cub’s fan, but I won’t tell you my favorite players when I was a kid for obvious security reasons. So, of course, I went out and joined a little league baseball team, fast pitch, well, sometimes fast, usually wild hardball – or at least they were solid, hard rubber coated balls that hu Read More